Balanced speedometer.



M. J. KLEIN. BALANUBb SPBEDOMETER.,

APPLIUATION FILED MAB.5,191o.

Patented Feb. 27,` 1912.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w NV M. J. KLEIN. BALANCBD SPBBDOMBTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..5,19710.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATHIAS J. KLEIN, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF SIXTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS TOv:HUGO B.; ROELKEB', 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

BLANCED .SPEEDOMETER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Application filed March 5, 1910. Serial No. 547,466.

To all whom t may concern.' (l

Be it known that I, MATHIAS J. Kluun, a citizenof the United States,residing in New York, borough of Manhattan, in the State of New York,have invented certain new .and useful Improvements in BalancedSpeedometers, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to. speedometers 'of the centrifugal type forautomobiles, motor cycles and other vehicles; its object being toindicate the correct vehicle speed not only on straightlevel and smoothroads, but also on curves and banked and more or less rough roads; itsobject being further to increase the range of action of the speedometer,that i is to show very small-and very high vehicle speeds. I obtainthese objects by a perfectly balanced speedometer of thecentrifugaltype, having tWo pairs of iiy-balls, each pair connected byastraight bar pivoted alongside of the rotary shaft of the speedometer,and one main-spring or two main springs ofdifferent strength resistingthe centrifugal force of said fiy balls.

vIn the accompanying dra-wing Figures 1 and 2 are respectively ahorizontal section and a `vertical longitudinal section, parts beingshown in elevation, of a balanced speedometer provided -with myimprovements. Fig. 3 shows the speed dial with indicator hand and scale.Figs. 4 and 5'are respectively a .horizontal section and a. verticalsection of a .modified construction of the balanced speedometer with onemain modification.

' Similar letters of reference indicate cor- '.spring only. Fig. 6 showsthe dial of this I `responding parts in all figures.

The :revolving shaft a", Figs. 1 and 2, of

the balanced speedometer' the4 latter is .-usnally. on the dash board ofthe vehicle near the driver) receivesl its motion from one road-wheel ofthe vehicle Which'is not. a.- power Wheel, by means of a pair of gear'wheels (not shown) and a iiexible shaft b.

The shaft a-O of the speedometer'rotates in the bearings A1, `A2', andis providedwit c wilt-h a cross-shaft c1, 02., around which two pairs ofiiy-balls 1,31? and'cl3, d", each pair connected to a straightbar,`oscillate in opposite`direct-io1is .and at equal angles. One paiiof the fly-'balls d1', d oscillates onpne thereby enablingr saidfly-balls to oscllate nearly 90 around sald cross shaft withoutinterfering one with the other or with the rotary shaft a". The ballswhich are of equal Weight are shown as made of cylindrical shape, but itis obvious that they may be of any other shape. On the shaft. a0 arearranged two main s )rings f, f1, of different strength, which ten toAbring the flyballs in proximity to the shaft or"v by means of theconnecting bars el, e, c2, c3, as shown in Fig. 1. The sleeve g, whichis splined to the shaft oo and thereby prevented from turnin on thesame, is provided withI an exteriorl ri ig-shaped rack, whichmcshesivith a pinion [L on `the shaft h1, the latter .turning in bearingA3; the speed index-hand I, which is applied to the upper end of'theshaft L above the dial ,S Fig. 3, is thereby moveil over the dial, itsweight being balanced Ain regard to the s'haft h1. The helical. spring fis weaker than the spring f1 and acts from zero on the dial. The springf1 is not. called into action from zero up to a cert-ain speed higherspeeds above this speedthe spring f1 acts'in conjunction with the springThe centrifugal force of the fly-balls is therefore resisted from zeroto say 4 miles by the spring f, and then for all speeds above 4 85 milesper hour by both springs-f, f1. For very high speeds, the fly-balls@2 tassume nearly the position do shown in Fig. 1, while the ends of theirconnecting bars e2, move up to the position el, e6; the liy-balls andthe 90 link-pins thereon are so arranged as not to interfere with eachother even when revolving at. very high speeds. The sleeve g1 -islikewise splined to the shaft a0 and of snflicient weight so that g1 andf balance g and 95 f in regard to point. c. The center of gravityoft-hcfly-balls all, d4 including members '01, c", f, and g remains alwaysin the axis of the' `shaft of for all speeds, and suih is the i casewith the center of gravity of members 10C (Z2, (13,', c2, e3, f1, andg1; the Weights of tlif'e latter balancing t-he Weights of theformer/.fit

all speeds, perfectly (or nearly so), ref` gard to point c, andtherefore. differentpositions of shaft a0 and vehicle shocks and 105imoyixi'g ofthe vehiclelon curves and banked roads will not influence theindications of said speed meter. Ilythe construction herein described,large fiy-balls may be used and the speed meterbe rendered verysensitive (say 4 miles per hour), and then for all 80 to small speeddifferences, its range of action being considerably increased by the useof. the two main springs f, f1.

The Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a modification of the balanced speed meterwith one main s ring only. Revolving shaft ai (having t e Vbearings A4,A5) is moved by flexible shaft b1, which is connected on the other endto one vehicle wheel. The erossshaft c, c* is connected at 00 torevolving shaft al, the two pairs of iiyballs d5, d", and all, dit,oscillate around the cross-shaft c, c* in opposite directions-and atequal 'angles sidewise of the rotary sha-ft al. The main spring f?,which resists the centrifugal -force of the fly-balls and moves therack-shaped sleeve go, which by intermeshing with the increased.

pinion It? on shaft ha mounted in bearings A, operates thespeed-indicator hand I1 and moves the same over the dial S1, Fig. 6.'The two balls d", di are larger than the balls d, d", so that theybalance not only the wei hts di, d", in regard to point co of shaft a1,u-t also the helical spring fo and 'the sleeve go andthe-pivot links e,e8. This modification (shown in the Figs. 4, 5, 6,) with only onejm'ainspring of middle strength, shows that the scale divisions are large inthe middle portion and very small for very low and very high vehiclespeeds and it is diilicult to read oil these speeds.

When a weak main spring is used alone, the

fly-balls move up quickly and nearly reach their extreme positions ateven moderate speeds; the scale divisions are large for low speeds,small for middle speeds, and very small for high speeds, it being nearlyimpossible to read the latter; if the one main spring is a strong one,itis nearly impo'ssible to read the ow speeds, but if a weak main springis combined with a strong one, as in the arrangement shown in the F1gs;1,

"2, 3, these scale divisions become more uni form andv low and highspeeds may be read with facility. In vother words, the range. of actionof the speed meter is considerably Figs. 3 and 6 illustrate thisclearly.

The two pairs of fly-balls are` arranged at opposite sides of andparallel. with. the centcrplane of the rotary-shaft of the speedometer,as shownin Figs. 2 and-'5,'

lwhereby the range of action of the speed ometer is comparatively large,the oscillating angle of the ily-balls being from 85 to 90, while whenthc fyballs are in the same plane the angie of osr'rillation would becomparatively small, and would not be more than from (i0 to 75. a

The Amodification of the balanced speed. meter with one main 'spring(shown in Figs. et, 5, 6,) may be used on vehicles of moderate speed(maximum about 5() miles per hour);

ifthe maximum speed of the vehicle is over 5() miles per hour, thearrangement shown 65 ment from the fiy-balls to the speed indexhand, asabove shown, an equivalent arrangement may be used.

aving thus described my' invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1.V In a balanced speedometer arrangement for vehicles, the combinationof a rotary' shaft receiving its motion from 'one of the road-Wheels ofthe vehicle, across-shaft connected "with said rotary shaft, two pairsofv fly-balls oscillating in planes parallel withthe verticalcenter-plane of the rotary' shaft; straight bars connecting each pair offly-balls, and being fulcrumed to said cross: shaft, one atene side andthe other at the other side of Athe rotary shaft, a sleeve on saidrotary shaft, a 1nain-spring `on said Arotary shaft interposed betweenthe crossshaft and said sleeve and adapted to oppose thecentrifugalforce of the fly-balls, a dial, an indexhand movable oversaid dial, and means interposed between said-sleeve and theindex-handfor transmittin the oscillations, of the fly-balls to the inex-hand for (indlicating the speed of the vehicle on said- 2. In abalanced speedometer arrange! ment for vehicles, the combination of a rotary shaft, .receiving its motion from one of the road-wheels Tof thevehicle, a crossshaft connected wit-l1 said rotary shaft, two pairs ofily-balls adapted to turn about said cross-shaft in opposite directionsand at equal angles, straight bars connecting each pair of fly-balls,sleeves on said rotaryv shaft, links connecting said' sleeves with the{lyballs, two main-springs on said rotary shaft resisting thecentrifugalforce of said lyballs, one main-s ring acting from zero .np

to a` certain s ee and theother n'ain-sprn actingwith t e firstmain-spring above sai speed, the center of gravity of the ily-balls,l

sleeves, links and mam-springs' remaining. r at all vehicle-speedspractically in the inter 'secting point of the rotary andcross-shai`ts,'f aA dial, an index-hand movable over said dial,

. and means' for transmitting the oscillationsl Witnesses-:1

PAUL Gonrm., FANNIE Flex.

:los

MATHIAS` J. KLEIN.

